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SERVING NEBRASKA AND IOWA SINCE 1920 Vol. LXy No. 22 Omaha, Nebr.
24 Shavat, S74« Friday, Fabruary 12, 19M
L Rabin says Israel to bar ship of deportees f
JTA Staff Rmort Report JERUSALEM (JTA) - Israel is expected to act within its rights under international law to bar from its territorial f waters a ship that may be carrying several hundred PalesI tinian deportees and their sjrmpathizers.
THB HmirBtz warned that this would be "to The ni»w«nar>«r newspaper ^aaretz play the PLO's game, with no chance of beating them at it." The Foreign Ministry also opposes the plan. But it is not certain the ship will sail. PLO representatives, at a hastily called news conference at their office in Athens, were long on rhetoric but short on details. Apart from announcing that the ship will be named "The The vessel, scheduled to sail Wednesday from Piraeus, the port of Athens, will reach Israeli waters over the week- Return," they refused to say which nation's flag it would end, according to the Palestine Liberation Organization, fly or its registered name. The PLO claimed in Athens last week that it had charthe voyage sponsor. tered the 8,000-ton Greek car ferry Silver Paloma. The i Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin said Tuesday that the Greek government informed Israel that since the vessel met ! ship would not be allowed to enter Israeli waters, but he all safety and other requirements, nothing could be done [ refused to say what would be done should the vessel at- to prevent its sailing. But the owner of the Silver Paloma, l tempt to enter. the Afreossa Line, which operates a regular service between Piraeus and Haifa, said the charter had not been signed [ Israelis are sharply divided over how to counteract what and the voyage was cancelled. There were no reports that ; appears to be a clever, well-timed international propaganda the PLO obtained another ship. f: ploy by the FLO. Whatever transpires with the ship, it is Meanwhile, Professor Yehuda Blum, an authority on in^ feared here that the Palestinians will gain world-wide S3an- ternational law, said Tuesday that if Israel announced offipathy at a time when the Israel Defense Force is engaged cially it would deny the ship access to its territorial waters, in almost daily violent confrontations with Palestinians in the ship's master should take that as a warning and act the West Bank and Gaza Strip. accordingly. Blum, a former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations' Premier Yitzhak Shamir denounced the planned voyage as an "insulting affront... a hostile and dangerous act and a member of the Hebrew University law faculty, told which endangered Israel." But there has been little sup- Israel Radio that a ship which seeks to enter a nation's terport for a proposal by one of Shamir's closest aides, media ritorial water in less than good faith can legally be adviser Avi Pazner, to meet the PLO ship at sea with an prevented from doing so. "In this particular case, the pasIsraeli ship carrying the families of victims of Palestinian sage would not be innocent because it is prejudicial to the good order of the coastal state and is an act of propaganda terrorist attacks.
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affecting the security of the coastal state," Blum aimed at affectimt Coastal Btate, said. He pointed out furthM' that maritime practice requires that a ship entering any port must be under control of a pilot sent out by the port authority. But Blum conceded that a violent stand-off betwerai the ship and Israeli forces would serve the PLO's propaganda interests. So far, the PLO has been making the most of the situation. The Athens news conference was addressed by Fouad Bittar, the PLO's diplomatic representative in Greece, and Bassam Abu Sharif, director of PLO chief Yasir Arafat's press office. Sharif, who flew from Tunis to deal with the media, claimed the vessel would carry 200 exiled Palestinians, 200 journalists—including Israelis—and 200 international personalities of stature. He claimed the latter would include some rabbis among other Jews and the aides to some U.S. congressmen. He also spoke of "progressive" Israelis who would participate in the odyssey. Two of them, Arab Knesset member Mohammad Miari of the Progressive List for Peace, and Haim Hangebi, were present at the press conference. In Israel, some peace activists said they planned to greet the ship at Haifa. One of them, author A.B. Yehoshua, said he was prepared to accept an independent Palestinian state in biblical Palestine if the PLO recognized Israel. (JTA correspondents David Landau in Jerusalem, Jean Cohen in Athens and Hugh Orgel in Tel Aviv contributed to this story.)
Separation of church and state looms as issue By David Friedman WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (JTA) - The Burprise secondplace finish by the Rev. Pat Robertson in the Iowa Republican caucus Monday is expected to arouse concern in-the Jewish community that the drive for school prayer and other efforts aimed at the erosion of the constitutional separation of church and state will become a major issue in the 1988 presidential campaign. While Senate Minority Leader Robert Dole (R-Kan.) won a major victory in Iowa with 37 percent of tlie vote, Robertson was aasumi of being a major factor in the Republican campaign when he received 26 percent of the vote as compared to only 19 percent for Vice President George Bush. In addition to Bush, Robertson's showing also hurt Rep. ' Jack Kemp (R-N.Y.) who finished fourth with 11 percent of the vote. As the campaign now moves on the New Hampshire primary next Tuesday, Dole and Bush are still expected to be the leading contenders for the Republican nomination. iBut the two, along with Kemp and former Delaware governor Pierre du Pont IV and former secretary of state Alexander Haig Jr., if they continue in the race beyond New Hampshire, will be seeking to win the support of the thousands of evangelical Christians Robertson is bringing into the Republican party. This should become increasingly apparent when the campaign moves toward Super Tuesday, March 8, when primaries or caucuses will be held in 20 states, half of them in the south. Bush and Dole have supported voluntary prayer while Kemp has been in favor on silent prayer. But some observers believe that while the rhetoric will increase. Bush
and Dole, especially, are not as ideologically committed to tlnse social issuea afrls President R«a#Bk Anditismtad that Reagan has been unable to get any of these measures approved in seven years. Ironically, Robertson is expected to tone down his rhetoric as he becomes a larger factor in the race. Since entaring the campaign he has played down his career as a television' evangelist and has instead called himself a businessman. On Monday night, he stressed that "I'm going to reach out to all Americans. I don't want to be a candidate of some narrow sphere of interest." In a speech to the National Press Club last year, Robertson said that he expected to win support in the Jewish community, especially among Orthodox Jews, who he said share the same concern he does about moral issues. Jewish organizations are not expected to take any public stand in the campaign. But there is concern as Dole, Bush and Kemp seek to win over Robertson's evangelical voters the rhetoric will heat up causing fear in the Jewish conlmunity. This could be a replay of the 1984 election when many Jews, traditionally Democrats, were considering deserting former Vice President Walter Mondale because of the influence of the llev. Jesse Jackson until President Reagan made several speeches attacking those who oppose prayer in schools as anti-religion. Jackson, incidently, did well in the Iowa Democratic caucus finishing fourth with 8.7 percent of the vote, more than four times as many as he received in 1984 in a state that is less than two percent black. Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.) narrowly won the Iowa caucus with 31.3 percent of the vote, trailed by Sen. Paul
Simon (D-IU.) with 26.6 percent and Massachusetts Goiv. Michael Dukakis with 22.3 percent. Jackson, like Robertson, is also oountLog on Super Tuesday to make his candidacy more viable. While all candidates have stressed their support of Israel, the two ministers take the opposite extremes on the Jewish state. Jackson has sought to improve his image in the Jewish community and has toned down his rhetoric on Israel. However, he is still the most critical of any of the candidates and is the only candidate on record in favor of. a Palestinian state. At the same time, when the Des Moines Sunday Register asked all candidates about their views about a homeland the day before the Iowa caucus, Jackson, while saying he supports a homeland, stressed that "the details should be worked out by the parties themselves." Robertson, on the .other hand, replied that "there is an autonomous homeland already for Palestine and its called Jordan." The candidates for the most part have avoided the Middle East, particularly the currentxmrest in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, except when they were questioned about it. Most expressed concern about the methods used by Israel, although they expressed understanding for Israel's problems. Mideast issues should begin to play a more important role in the campaign as the candidates are expected to seek Jewish votes on Super Tuesday with primaries in Florida, Maryland and Massachusetts, with the Illinois primary on March 15 and then perhaps take center stage as the New York primary approaches April 19.
Men's Campaign plans new program strategy "We've made our goal to develop an enthusiasm and excitement in the 1988 Men's Campaign, a sense of partudpation in the buiUing of a better Omaha Federation," announced Leonard Lewis, chairman of the men's division of the annual Federation Campaign. The 1988 Men's Campaign held its first meeting on Sunday, Jan. 24, at the Jewish Community Center to discuss the implementation of new and innovative programs and events within their divisions.
Members of the Cabinet are Nelson Gordman, Pacesetter Division ($5,000 •); Robert Gordman, Grand Gifts Division ($4,999$2,000); Richard Jacobson and Richard Zacharia, Leadership Division (|l,999-$l,O0O); Steve Nogg and Dr. Neal "Buzz" Malashock, Donors Division ($999-$600); Bruce Horwich and Phil Wayne, Initial Division ($499-$251); Jim Shneider, Builders Division (»260-$176); Randy Endelman and Alan Hackel Helpers Division ((174-tlOO);
By Joadie Jacobson Federation public relations director "We've restructured the men's campaign," explained Mr. Lewis. "This year, we've added two new divisions. Tliis means that there will be fewer cards for each worker in the existing division and more time for each man to spend with each prospective donor. Now we'll have the time to tell people why we ask them to Leonard Lewis give, where the money is goGary Ostrow and David ing, who benefits and what Rips, Young Adults (under we need on a local, national $260); and Iz Bogdanoff and and international level. "We have to becoaoe more Sam Rosensteih, Old effective at telling onr Timers (under $250).
story," Mr. Lewis continued. "Awareness and information are essential elements of any fundraising effort and it's imperative that We make the time to talk to each other. The Omaha Jemsh community deserves more than a quick phone call. How can we meet our needs when we don't really know them? "The men of the 1988 Men's Campaign Cabinet are men with ideas—good ideas. But that's not enough. It takes a 'community rffort'—people to effec-
tively tell the story and poo-' pie who are willing to listen. "The restructuring of the Campaign will make this effort more manageable and, certainly, more meaningful," concluded Mr. Lewis. "Nothing stays the same. The needs of the Omaha Jewish community, like the needs of oiu- children, become greater with age. We have to want to continue in . excellence. We have to continually make Jewish life a priority for ourselves and our families."